In what could be described as a miracle on Bruce Street, UCA senior wide receiver Jarrod Barnes made a game-winning touchdown in the last seconds of a Nov. 11 matchup against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels.
With a 27-24 final score, the game was by no means a blowout for the Eastern Kentucky team. The Colonels spent much of the game within close range of the Bears, taking a promising lead with less than 30 seconds left in the fourth.
EKU’s senior quarterback Parker McKinney’s pass to senior wide receiver Ethan Bednarczyk seemed to be the end for the Bears, a sustained hush falling over Estes Stadium.
This was until senior quarterback Will McElvain’s 46-yard pass, made with less than 20 seconds left in the fourth quarter, found its way into open arms.
UCA coach Nathan Brown recognized the Hail Mary play as being an exceptionally rare, unexpected success for the team.
“I thought we had won every single way you could win a football game. Whether it’s comebacks, blowouts, holding onto a lead,” Brown said. “But that may have topped it off.”
Coincidentally, the game’s start mimicked its finale as UCA sophomore defensive back T.D. Williams made an interception return just 18 seconds into the first quarter.
EKU matched the initial 7 points with a pass from McKinney to senior wide receiver Jalen Burbage.
Later, a 37-yard field goal from EKU junior kicker Patrick Nations earned the team’s first lead of the game, bringing the score to 10-7.
A pass from UCA’s McElvain to junior wide receiver Trustin Oliver boosted the Bears to 14 points. Another pass during the third quarter from McElvain to senior wide receiver Christian Richmond bumped the Bears up to 21 points, still leading over EKU’s 10.
EKU worked their way up to the Bear’s lead with Nations making two 23-yard field goals, one in the third quarter and one leading into the later half of the fourth.
The Colonels sat at 16 points, the Bears still at 21 until EKU’s final touchdown from Bednarczyk made for the auspicious two-point lead over the Bears.
Going into UCA’s final play of the game, the only thing on Barnes’ mind was “I have to go make a play.”
McElvain shared a similar urgency, first knowing he’d have to work to extend the play as much as he could.
“I was trying to get out to the right where the receivers were and it just didn’t happen that way,” McElvain said. “I went left and just heaved it and tried to give them a chance to make a play. And they did.”
Brown gave extra credit to the Bears defensive-line for their work throughout the game, noting that he didn’t want their effort to get lost in the hype behind the win.
“I mean, defense manufactured a score,” Brown said. “We made tackles and we kept the ball in front of us the entire night.”
The Bears head to Tennessee Nov. 18 to face off against the Austin Peay Governors. The Governors are currently undefeated in the United Athletic Football Conference.
Should the Bears pull off a victory against the 5-0 team, they’ll find themselves with an automatic bid into the UAC playoffs.
“It’s final week of the season and I feel like both teams have done a lot to get in the playoffs,” Brown said. “Even if one of us is going to lose, that’s two playoff-caliber teams. The only way you guarantee yourself postseason play is winning next week.”